Eternity
by His Black Rider
Summary: Innocence is not easily kept alive in Sleepy Hollow. To most, it hardly exists-a cruel truth that Charlotte White, the newest to town, would have to discover for herself. Falling prey to some timeless dark magic, she quickly finds herself on the run from the horrific figure of a man whose hands bear the spilt blood of hundreds-the Horseman himself, who always gets his prize.
1. Prologue

PROLOGUE: THE EVIL ONE

Sitting on the dirt floor, with her tattered skirts billowing out underneath her frame, was the witch Mary Van Tessel. Her former blonde hair was almost pale white and it hung limply down her ghostly ashen shoulders and back. It's been three years since her imprisonment.

Three long and unforgiving years...

There had been a time when she had been praised for her beauty- but now her fair looks had all but completely withered away. She was a ghost of her former self; condemned and damned to spend an eternity with the same hell she had once thought she could control. Fate has a way with irony, she supposed.

Staring at the small fire before her, Mary eyed the dancing flames and the unidentifiable objects that surrounded it with hilarity.

Fortune, however, won't be getting the last laugh...

With practiced hands, she picked up every little item only to swiftly toss it into the smoldering orange flames, all the while muttering soft chants under her breath. Pausing for but a moment, Mary reached a hand down to one of the pockets in her skirts and pulled out a small black vial. After pulling the cork out of its top, she poured the contents into her hand.

To the human eye, it'd look like sand, but the sick truth was that it was actually ash….human ash.

And it wasn't just from any human either. Oh no, the ash use to be a bone that came from the very skeleton of the dead Headless Horseman. Turns out that it wasn't just his skull that she took from his grave. A smile of triumph came to her cracked, bluish lips as she tossed the final ingredient into the fire. The flames jumped and leapt high into the air before turning a piercing blue shade. At her success, Mary Van Tessel threw back her head, laughing like a madwoman before she brought her attention back onto the blue flames. Waving her hands tauntingly before the inferno, her lips parted and her voice, so hoarse yet strong came forth as she recited a powerful spell of her own creation.

"_Three years I have been trapped inside this tree, but by the blood of an Innocent will I be set free. I call upon the forces of Hell to find me She. Then let her be bound to the Horseman instead of me!"_

With her final words, Mary turned her head up to the sky before she let out a hysterical screeching noise. It resounded off the walls and would have turned even the hottest blood cold should it had been heard.

The fire raged once more into the air at its command. And from the flames came a thin, black mist that slowly took the form of a human body before rising up and escaping out of the tree. Unseen, it crept all the way into the resting town of Sleepy Hollow, searching for the key its Mistress needed to complete her spell. It didn't take long however for the black mist to find its mark. The girl lived in a tiny cottage by the bridge- the only issue that now stood in the Witch's way was how to get that girl.

But Mary, one step ahead already, seemed to have a plan for that too...


	2. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1: A SIMPLE STORY…

"Charlotte!" cried the two small children who had anxiously gathered in front of the family's fireplace. Their eyes wide with merriment stared across at the parlor's entrance, waiting for the appearance of the one named Charlotte.

"Come here, Charlotte!" a boy, no older than ten, called.

"Yeah, you're going to miss Papa's story!" a tiny girl added as she bounced in her position.

The sound of heels coming down the wooden hallway followed by a gentle, feminine laugh reached the kids' ears. Within a couple minutes, a beautiful young woman, who was nearing 20 years of age, strolled into the parlor room, carrying with her a silver tray.

"Well, I wouldn't want that to happen, now would I?" she teased playfully; giggles erupted from the mouths of the two kids as Charlotte simply smiled and walked over to where they sat on the ground. The boy, who was named William, reached his hands up for Charlotte's tray; Charlotte's smile deepened as she handed the tray down to the small boy appreciatively before she gracefully kneeled to the floor and took a seat by the children.

"Oh lookey, Charlotte brought Angel Cake!" William happily exclaimed as he quickly observed the four slices on the tray which now rested in his lap.

"I want some!" the little girl named Alexandria threw out. Charlotte reached over and grabbed one of the slices of cake before she handed it across to the little girl. Alexandria gratefully accepted it without question while William was already digging into his slice. As the kids hungrily bit into their sweet cake, another person entered into the Parlor room as well.

"Papa!" Alexandria greeted with a smile; William swallowed a mouthful of cake before pointing out,

"Look what Charlotte brought, Father!" he said before he taking another bite.

Evan Collins smiled warmly down upon his two children as he moved forward and took a seat in a chair across from the fireplace.

"And what do you say to that children?" he asked lightly. Both kids quickly turned to Charlotte,

"Thank you, Charlotte." They said in unison;

Charlotte laughed softly, "You're very welcome, children." She replied before she brought her eyes up to their father, "Good evening, Mr. Collins." She formally greeted with a soft nod of her head.

"Evening, Charlotte." Mr. Collins answered. Charlotte politely reached over to the tray and picked up the two remaining pieces of cake before she placed one slice in her lap and handed the last one over to the older man. He thanked her with a smile and a quick nod.

"So Mr. Collins, your children tell me that you have a story for us tonight." She amusedly stated.

"Indeed. The kids are right." he answered.

"Tell her the one about the Horseman!" William called out; Alexandria quickly nodded her head in agreement. Charlotte raised a soft eyebrow at the two kids for their enthusiasm before she turned her attention back onto the older man before her.

"Alright," Mr. Collins answered with a soft nod, "Tell me Charlotte, since you're new to Sleepy Hollow, what do you know of the Headless Horseman?" he asked curiously.

Charlotte cocked her side to the side slightly and pondered his question. Having just moved into town a week ago, the young woman knew very little about the folktales the town had to tell. With a soft shrug of her shoulders she answered honestly, "Nothing, sir."

And so the widowed Mr. Collins began telling the famous story that haunted their town.

"It all started at the hands of a vengeful witch known as Mary Van Tessel." He explained, "The Witch stole the head from the Horseman's grave, and with the use of her black magic, she was able to make the Horseman do her every bidding." The man sat back in his chair,

"With that power, she ordered him to decapitate her multiple victims which were found scattered across the town, then allowed him to take their heads back to the Tree of the Dead where he could keep them as trophies. Of course, as you could imagine, people grew frantic. It seemed like no one would be safe in Sleepy Hollow anymore."

" So then the people called upon a very intelligent man known as Ichabod Crane who used his brains to solve the case of the Headless Horseman!" William voiced up beside Charlotte with robust.

"Well God bless, Ichabod Crane." Charlotte answered with brief laugh as she spared a glance over at the boy.

"It was he, who in the end, gave the Horseman back his head and freed him from the evil Witch's binding." Mr. Collin's carried on, bringing everyone's attention back on to him.

" The last time anyone every saw the Horseman was when he had carried off that witch with him back into the Tree of the Dead. Of course some people still say that if one was to ever go into the western woods at night when the moon was full, you'd see him riding around, looking for blood to spill. So keep that in mind Charlotte if you ever decide to go out and take a walk, if you're not careful, you might end up losing your pretty head to the Horseman." Mr. Collins made a soft gesture with his finger 'slitting' his own throat for a dramatic effect. The kids giggled nervously at this while Charlotte, who did not seem as moved by the story, gave a polite smile instead.

"Well, Mr. Collins," she began as she started to rise off the floor, "That was indeed some story. " she quickly paused to smooth out the navy blue skirts of the gown that she wore before continuing, "I'll definitely be sure to stay away from the woods at night from now on." She calmly teased while she brushed off unseen dirt on her flowing skirts. Mr. Collins smiled,

"You seem unaffected by my tale." he guessed.

"Yes well, it's just a story, right?" Charlotte answered as she reached down and picked up the silver tray off of William's lap. As she glanced down at the kids, she saw them shake their heads 'no'.

"One would like to think so, huh?" Mr. Collins answered back.

"Well I…" Charlotte started but had to stop as she noted the serious looks upon everyone's faces, "…You can't seriously be saying that this is a true story." She stated in disbelief. William once again nodded his head,

"Very true." He answered.

Charlotte blinked twice before shaking her head disbelievingly, "If you ask me," she began, "…it sounds like a story that was created to scare little children." She boldly stated.

"But he's real!" Alexandria protested. Mr. Collins raised a hand up in the air to silence his child,

"Now Alexandria, Charlotte can believe whatever she wants to believe. Besides," he quickly added, "I'm sure in time, Charlotte will come to understand the...history of the story." He explained to his youngest.

The young woman could've argued that statement...but decided it was better to hold her tongue.

"Well sir, if you'll no longer be needing me tonight, I shall take my leave." She murmured as she began walking towards the Parlor's exit.

"Of course. In fact why don't you take the day off tomorrow and go see more of the town. It could really open your eyes to new views." Mr. Collins answered. What Charlotte found interesting about his offer was his tone of voice, he sounded like he was hinting at something. In response, she nodded her head,

"Very well sir. Goodnight children, Mr. Collins." She formally spoke.

"Goodnight, Charlotte!" the kids replied.

Without another word, the woman left the parlor room and headed back down the wooden hallway to the kitchen. There, she found her thick cloak and gloves waiting patiently for her on a wooden table. After she dressed herself up for the late Autumn weather outside, she left out the back door of the house. Upon leaving, Charlotte was greeted by a chilly gust of cold air. She instinctively drew her cloak tighter around her petite body and pulled the hood up and over her head. As she made her way around the house to the front where the coble stone road was, from a great distance, a high pitch screeching sound leaked into the night sky. It was a very faint sound, and though it made Charlotte's blood freeze momentarily in her veins, she quickly dismissed the feeling and scolded herself for overreacting.

"Shame on you, Charlotte...letting Mr. Collin's words get to you..."

Still...for whatever reason, the woman couldn't stop herself from taking a few moments to let her eyes search around for a possible source, only to find themselves drawn to the dark shadows that would lead into the woods.

Did things around here always appear so eerie at night?

The haunting sound came again-closer this time, and Charlotte, suddenly spooked, quickened her pace and fled down through the streets till she reached her own small cottage by the bridge.

Upon entering her cozy home, the young woman immediately turned around and bolted the door shut. It was only after the latch had been slid in place that she felt safe and secure once more.

"That was odd…." She noted nervously as she drew her hands back down to her side.

The wind outside her cottage started to howl; at that moment, it was like it was trying to say personally,

"Welcome to Sleepy Hollow, Charlotte White…."

* * *

_**Author's Note: Hey guys :) so as you may have noticed, I had taken my story 'Eternity' down for a little bit of time and now it's coming back up, bit by bit. When I had started this story, I was in my sophomore year of High school and had really just started writing. Well now I'm a sophomore in college and if you have read any other of my works, you've probably been able to see my skills with writing progress. So now that I'm a much more fluent writer, I had some time to go through my first version of this story and I was blown away at all the amateur errors I had made: spelling, punctuation...there was even some redundancy with character phrasing and description. So...I'm cleaning up this story :) No biggie. I'm not changing the plot, I swear on a stack of bibles! Everything will be exactly as it was, there's just going to be some slight tweaking here and there.**_

And one more thing I'd like to clarify on because it obviously concerned a reader of mine. Yes I know the summary is different, but the story is the same. Again, when I had first created Eternity, FANFICTION only allowed an author to create a summary with only like...180 characters? (they hadn't done all the updating that is in use now) And even from my perspective, (and I was the one who had wrote it in the first place..) I felt the original summary wasn't as grabbing as it should be. Now that the site allows someone to summarize with 330, I simply spiced it up. :P Harmless right? haha.

_**Now...I hope we all have an understanding? Rest assured, Eternity isn't being redone... just tweaked so it's error-free with just maybe a little spicing up in between. :D So..that's all I got..if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to shoot me a message. I'd be happy to chat with you (because if you leave questions in the review box, I may not always be able to actually reply to you personally because of account settings.) With that said, I hope you all enjoy the updated version of Eternity. :) Thank you for your support. You guys are awesome!**_


	3. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2: A FRIENDLY FACE

When Charlotte awoke the next day from her peaceful sleep, she was instantly met by a ray of early morning sunshine. She softly groaned before sitting up to throw the bedcovers off her body. As she got out of bed and let her bare feet touch the cool wooden floor beneath her, Charlotte couldn't help but shiver softly in her shift,

"It's chilly today…"

Swiftly making her way over to her wardrobe on the other side of her bedroom, she rummaged through her belongings and pulled out a gown of forest green before she started on the task of getting dressed.

Once her corset and petticoats were on, she slid the gown over her head, stuck her arms through its sleeves and tightly laced up the back of the dress with accomplished fingers. Properly clothed now with a pair of dainty slippers on her feet, Charlotte neatly braided her long, strawberry blonde hair over one shoulder and tied it off with simple black ribbon.

Then with a soft sigh of satisfaction, she gracefully exited her bedroom and headed to the front door which was still bolted from the night before. After sliding the bolt out of the latch, Charlotte pulled open the wooden door and was greeted by a cool morning breeze.

The crisp air was fragrant with the sweet scent of apples and spice. Stepping outside, a small smile came to her face; the sky was blue, the sun shining with a slight breeze-she could already tell that today was going to be a beautiful day as she started walking into town.

The young woman, who was swiftly passing the Blacksmith and coming up on the old church, paused for a moment in her steps when a friendly voice called her name.

"Ah, good morning Miss Charlotte, you're up early."

Charlotte turned about to see a middle aged woman walking up to her; she instantly recognized who it was and gave her a smile in return.

"Morning Mrs. Adams. How are you today?" Charlotte asked politely. Mrs. Adams was nearly ten years her senior, but since day one she had always made sure Charlotte felt welcomed in town.

"Very well, thank you. I'm just on my way to the church for some morning prayers. Where are you off to at such an early hour?" the older woman asked curiously.

Charlotte thought for a few seconds before shrugging her shoulders,

"I'm not really certain actually. I just thought to take a walk around and see a bit more of the town." she answered.

"Mmm that's completely understandable." Mrs. Adams stated with a soft nod, "How are you liking our little town of Sleepy Hollow so far?" she asked as she and Charlotte continued on with their walk side by side.

"Well..." she began, hesitating for a moment as she recalled the incident that happened the night before, "...it certainly has a unique and unexplainable quality about it." she answered lightly; a soft laugh came out of Mrs. Adams,

"Yes, I suppose it does, doesn't it?" Mrs. Adams chuckled again before she took on a serious tone, "I won't lie to you Charlotte, strange things are known to happen in this place."

Charlotte was instantly reminded of the story she was told about the previous evening.

"You mean things like headless ghost riders riding about in the woods?" the younger woman teased good-naturedly. Mrs. Adams gave her a knowing smile,

"I see you were already informed about the Headless Horseman." Mrs. Adams stated while looking straight ahead as they now approached the front of the church,

"Just last night." Charlotte answered, "The people of this town seem to take this 'Horseman' fellow very seriously." Mrs. Adams came to a quick halt and turned toward Charlotte,

"You do not?" she asked curiously. Charlotte stopped too and faced the older woman,

"Should I?"

"It would be wise to." Mrs. Adams answered.

"How so?" she asked before continuing on, "...the whole idea of a...bloodthirsty, headless rider seems a bit surreal for my tastes." Charlotte confessed. Mrs. Adams once again gave nod,

"It's reasonable that you feel that way. I couldn't believe the idea myself when it all started three years back."

Charlotte's eyes widened softly at her words; Mrs. Adams noticed this and continued on, "Yes it's a true story Charlotte. Trust me, I saw the Horseman myself."

"You saw him?" Now Charlotte was curious.

Mrs. Adams nodded again, "Mmhmm. As clearly as I see you."

"Well what happened?" Charlotte asked. Mrs. Adams gave her a tiny smile,

"Tell you what, why not after prayer, you join me at my house for a cup of tea and I'll tell you everything you need to know.

At the suggestion, Charlotte perked up, "Deal." she answered brightly.

"Good. Now I shouldn't be long...ten minutes at most so why don't you go ahead and finish your exploring." The older woman jested with a playful light in her eyes causing Charlotte to laugh.

"Sounds perfect." she stated cheerfully.

Charlotte and Mrs. Adams walked up to the opening in the white fence that surrounded the church. That's where Charlotte stopped and watched as Mrs. Adams stylishly continued on up and entered the old church building.

Not knowing what to do now with the short, free time that she had, the young woman decided to walk around the perimeter of the hallowed grounds, taking time to note all the details big and small; such as the building's structure to all the random wild flowers that were blooming in the grass.

The ten minutes went on by. Right as Charlotte came back around from walking behind the church, there was Mrs. Adams coming out of its doors, making her way over to where she was.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long, Charlotte." Mrs. Adams stated apologetically. Charlotte gave the woman a comforting smile,

"Not at all." she replied.

"Well then, shall we head on back to my place for a nice cup of tea?" Mrs. Adams asked as she linked her arm with Charlotte's as though they were life-long friends.

"Why not?" Charlotte answered as she and the older woman walked side by side away from the church back into town.


	4. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3: TO BECOME A BELIEVER

Upon entering Mrs. Adams house, the two women were greeted by silence. Mrs. Adams led the way inside, Charlotte following closely behind until they reached the kitchen.

"Judging by the stillness, John and Michael aren't up yet." Mrs. Adams stated lightly with a tender smile as she quickly made her way around her kitchen, fixing up some hot tea for the both of them.

"John and Michael?" Charlotte asked curiously; Mrs. Adams turned to her with a bright smile

"My sons." she answered proudly as any mother would before returning to her task.

"Oh!" Charlotte answered with surprise in her voice.

"They're the Pride and Joy of me and my husband, Will." Mrs. Adams added on, "Do you like kids?" she asked curiously.

"Oh I love them. I work as a Nanny to two kids at the moment." Charlotte answered as the young faces of William and Alexandria flashed across her mind.

"Oh yes, I remembering hearing about that. You work for Mr. Collins, right?"

"Correct." Charlotte answered. At that moment, Mrs. Adams finished preparing a pot of tea on a tray with two glass cups.

"Nice man, he had a lovely wife, may God rest her soul in peace...let's take our tea in the Parlor Room." Mrs. Adams stated as she carried the tray out of the kitchen. Charlotte dutifully followed after her.

Once they were inside the spacious Parlor Room, they took their seats on a comfy sofa while Mrs. Adams set the tray with the tea down on the coffee table before them.

"Now then, let us begin." Mrs. Adams started as she swiftly poured a cup of tea for Charlotte and herself. Charlotte accepted the hot, steaming drink gratefully.

"Thank you." she politely stated.

"You're welcome." Mrs. Adams answered before she took a quiet sip of her tea.

"So..." Charlotte began, "Did you really and honestly see this Horseman fellow?" she asked with great interest. Mrs. Adams lowered her tea to rest in her lap before she gave Charlotte a warm smile,

"I somehow knew you were going to ask that." she answered, "...but yes I did. And so did most of the town as well."

"What did he look like?" Charlotte continued her questioning.

" He was dressed entirely in black armor with black leather boots and a long black and red cape hanging off his shoulders. On his person he carried a long sharp sword and axe upon his hips. And he always rode in upon this fearsome looking black stallion. He was Headless of course." Mrs. Adams explained with great detail.

"How did you see him?"

"Well it wasn't a pleasant encounter, I can tell you that. It all started three years back, when his terrorizing was starting to take effect upon the people of Sleepy Hollow. By this time, at least eight people had been decapitated by him. Any ways, the first time I laid eyes upon this killing monster, was when almost all of the town had fled to the church for safety when someone spotted the Headless Horseman ridding into town once again. The town had been alerted by a man named Baltus Van Tassel who came running down the street screaming that his wife, Mary Van Tessel had just been killed by the Horseman."

Charlotte took a slow sip of the herbal brew she held in her hands, "And the safest place in town would be the church?"

"Yes. You see the Horseman is a demonic figure from Hell itself. Therefore, he is not permitted to set foot on any hallowed ground. As long as one stands on sacred ground, the Horseman can't touch you...physically at least." Mrs. Adams explained, "You see, that night when everyone crowded inside the church for its protection, a small riot broke out among a handful of men; the Preacher accused Baltus for bringing the Horseman to the Church's doorstep, claiming that it was obvious that the Horseman had come for him. People started suggesting things like throwing him out of the church and letting the Horseman have his head if it meant that everyone else would be left alone."

Charlotte nodded her head encouragingly, "Go on..."

" Well, Baltus didn't like that idea at all. He grabbed a pistol out of a man's pocket and pointed at the mutinous crowd, making it very clear that if anyone tried to touch him, he would shoot them between the eye. I was huddled in the back of the church with my family that night, so I can't for certain say what happened in this next part but Baltus did fire the gun off; at the Preacher who had just killed a man in front of him. Baltus naturally became desperate for a way out, in fear of the crowd he backed himself up the staircase in very front of the church till he stood on the preacher's platform looking down on the rest of the town, in front of the window." The older woman took a sip of tea.

" Some men of the town, despite the bloody issues that had happened inside, were still firing their rifles pointlessly at the undead rider who was stalking around the church upon his black stallion. I watched with wide eyes as the murderous ghost sat tall upon his horse, and even till now I've never witnessed anything as frightening in my life. When I finally pulled my eyes away from the monster to glance at my husband and children, the sound of breaking glass and a scream of a young woman came from the front. As I looked to see what had happened, I could not believe my eyes- Baltus stood on that platform, his eyes wide with shock, mouth drooping open and a bloody stake from the fence outside protruding from his chest. In the blink of an eye, he was pulled right through the window to the outside before the horseman, who had so cleverly tied a rope to the end of the stake, dragged him off the church grounds. I saw that man lose his head that night...a gruesome scene it was, of course it wasn't long after that when it was announced that the Horseman would no longer trouble Sleepy Hollow anymore..."

"What made him stop?"

"A man named Ichabod Crane used his sharp wit and intelligence to solve the case. By returning the Horseman's head to him, the Horseman was freed from a Witch's spell that bound him to do her bidding."

"Casted by Mary Van Tessel."

"Mmhmm. Crazy woman she was, and no one even suspected her until the very end when Mr. Crane informed us of her treachery. Of course when the Town did find out, Mary Van Tessel was no more."

Charlotte pieced together the rest of the story, "Because the Horseman took her with him when he left for the last time." Perhaps there was more truth to Mr. Collin's story than she realized.

Mrs. Adams nodded. "Yes, back into the Tree of the Dead. And they have been there ever since." she finished.

Charlotte sat back into her seat, her head reeling with understanding. "Well...though I'm not one to believe in the dead coming back to life...the story does make sense..." the young woman confessed.

Mrs. Adams cocked her head to the side slightly as she studied Charlotte, "My dear, do you believe in God?" she asked.

This question threw Charlotte off, "Yes." she answered hesitantly,

"And his son, our Lord Savior Jesus Christ?"

"Yes, of course."

"Well wasn't he risen from the dead?"

When Charlotte didn't know how to respond to the question, Mrs. Adams reached a hand over and laid it on her shoulder, "A thing that one should try to understand is that there is more than just the power of good on Earth, there is great evil too. And that's a fact that people tend to underestimate."

"Do you believe that he could come back?" Charlotte asked.

"After what I've seen happen in the past, I cannot doubt the possibility, though I hope God forbids it." Mrs. Adams answered. Charlotte simply nodded her head in agreement.

"Here I have something for you." Mrs. Adams said with a soft smile as she placed her now empty tea cup back on the tray before she rose to her feet, "Give me one minute." she asked politely as she swiftly left the Parlor room.

Charlotte waited patiently on the sofa for her return. When she came back she held something within her hand. "I want you to have this." she stated as she opened her hand to reveal a brilliantly cut crystal cross that hung on a simple silver chain. Charlotte's eyes widened at its beauty,

"Oh no, I couldn't..." she began to protest,

"Nonsense. I insist." Mrs. Adams pushed as she then quickly leaned over to clasp the neck around Charlotte's neck. The cross felt cool as it hung right between the tops of Charlotte's breasts that were revealed against the tight fitting of her bodice, "Think of it as a sign of our friendship." she added with a soft smile, "It will protect you from the evils here, wear it close to your heart at all times."

Charlotte glanced down on the shimmering necklace before she looked back over at Mrs. Adams and smiled warmly, "I shall." she answered, "Thank you."

Mrs. Adams smiled once more and reached a motherly hand over and lightly caressed Charlotte's cheek, when she drew her hand away, she spoke again, "Tell me Charlotte, can you ride?" she asked curiously,

"Yes I can."

"Good. Because there's a place I'd like to show you"

"Sounds like an adventure." Charlotte suggested with a smile, "Where do you have in mind?" she quickly asked.

"The place where it all began. Into the Western Woods to the Tree of the Dead." Mrs. Adams answered as she and Charlotte rose from the sofa.

"Why do you want to take me there?"

"I want you to become a true believer"

"And taking me to the Tree will do that?"

"Seeing is believing is it not?" Mrs. Adams stated playfully. Charlotte couldn't help but laugh softly and nod her head. "Well then, " Mrs. Adams continued, "...what are we waiting for? Let's go and saddle the horses." she suggested as she and Charlotte then left the Parlor Room and once again headed outside to their Stables.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Tree of the Dead

After saddling up and mounting two horses, Mrs. Adams and Charlotte took off at great speed heading for the woods with Mrs. Adams leading the way. As the two women passed into the dark shadowy trees, Mrs. Adams took them down an old rugged trail that led them deeper into the woods.

Sitting sidesaddle while gripping the reins with firm hands, Charlotte closely followed behind Mrs. Adams' mare until she watched her bring her horse to a stop, signaling for Charlotte to do the same. Their horses had followed the path down to its end and now stood in a small clearing surrounded by many trees.

Lying in the center of it was large, and ghostly looking tree that stood out from all the rest.

"Is this it?" Charlotte asked while she sized the tree up from its roots to its towering height above their heads.

"This is it." Mrs. Adams confirmed. Charlotte nudged her horse forward a few more steps to get a closer look at the tree,

"Huh..." Charlotte began as she gripped the horn of the saddle and slid off the leather seat, "...I pictured it...well...bigger." she stated.

Mrs. Adams gave a soft chuckle, "I know it doesn't look like much but one should never judge a book by its cover." she pointed out she climbed down from her seat on the saddle. "Ghastly thing isn't it?" she added.

Charlotte laughed, "Well it's certainly not a tourist attraction." she answered playfully. Mrs. Adams laughed before she walked over and linked arms with Charlotte.

"Come and take a look at this." Said Mrs. Adams as she led herself and Charlotte around the side of the tree where the ground rose in elevation, "Climb up here." the older woman directed after she unlinked their arms.

With careful steps, the two women climbed up the jagged and uneven ground that rose midway up the back of the tree. At the top, the ground smoothed out till it was perfectly flat. Charlotte walked out onto it for a few steps before coming to a stop.

A trench-like hole had been dug into the earth and Charlotte was standing at its edge. Her curious eyes looked into the black abyss-like hole in front of her before they glanced up to a rusty, forgotten sword that had been stuck into the ground at the head of the hole. As she brought her eyes back to the pit before her, she leaned out over the edge and looked down; a soft gasp escaped her lips before she turned to Mrs. Adams with wide eyes,

"This is a grave!" Charlotte exclaimed.

"Indeed it is." Mrs. Adams calmly replied.

Charlotte looked back into the pit once more, her eyes locking onto the laid out bones of a human skeleton, then her eyes darted back up to the old sword that stood rusting in the ground.

"This..." the young woman took a moment to brush her tongue across her lips, nervously, "..this is his grave isn't it?" Charlotte stated"...the Horseman's?" Mrs. Adams nodded her head.

Charlotte gave a soft uneasy laugh, "Wasn't much to look at I take it." she joked nodding toward the grave where the bare bones laid inside.

"Now don't let this deceive you... when the Horseman rode, he was solid **flesh** and bones; these are just his remains from when he was killed by some soldiers many years ago." Mrs. Adams explained

"Ah..." Charlotte murmured as she stared back down on the Horseman's remains; it was in that moment that Charlotte noticed something odd, "Uh...Mrs. Adams?" she started, "..the Horseman did get his head back right?" she asked.

"Yes deary." Mrs. Adam answered.

"Well then where is it?" Charlotte asked curiously as she nodded down to the headless skeleton. Mrs. Adams took a step closer to the grave and looked down into the pit,

"He has it Charlotte. So that no other can take it and use it to control him." Mrs. Adams calmly explained.

"I see..." Charlotte thought to herself quietly.

The soft sound of thunder roared overhead forcing Mrs. Adams quickly looked up at the now darkening clouds above, "Hmm...a storm's coming, Charlotte. Best we head back now."

"Of course."

The two women climbed down from the grave and then made haste back over to their horses who waited patiently for them in front of the tree. After hoisting themselves up onto the saddles, they set out for town once again, heading back to Charlotte's small cottage.

After arriving, the young woman quickly dismounted her horse before she handed the reins over to Mrs. Adams,

"Thank you, again, Mrs. Adams...for everything. It's been very informative." Charlotte confessed with a polite smile.

"It was my pleasure, dear girl. If you ever need anything," Mrs. Adams quickly added, "You know where to find me." she reminded. With that said, the older woman gave her horse a soft kick and made way for her own home, leading the extra horse alongside her. Once Mrs. Adams was out of sight, Charlotte turned about and headed inside her cozy cottage.


	6. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 6: THE WITCH'S TRADE

The next day, Charlotte ended up sleeping well into the afternoon. She was awakened by the playful cries and laughter of the town's children who had gathered together at the bridge right outside Charlotte's home.

Charlotte quickly dressed herself in a simple pale blue gown trimmed with pink and white; after she was done, she immediately headed outside to see what the kids were up to.

"Afternoon children." she greeted as she approached the small group of six kids; they all turned to face her and gave her a friendly smile,

"Hi Charlotte!" they answered. Charlotte smiled and was getting ready to ask what they were doing when one of the kids, a small girl, ran over and hugged onto Charlotte's skirts.

"Charlotte!' the girl happily cried; Charlotte gazed down on the small and very familiar looking girl, her smile widened slightly,

"Hello to you too, Alexandria." Charlotte stated with a soft laugh. When Charlotte looked back up at the rest of the group of kids, she noticed something odd, "Alexandria," Charlotte began as her eyes quickly searched through the group of kids, "Where's your brother, William?" she asked curiously.

"Oh that's who we are waiting for." Alexandria answered, the rest of the kids nodded their heads in agreement.

"Why are you waiting for William?" Charlotte questioned.

"He hasn't come back yet." Said a boy who Charlotte knew as Tommy Stewart, the son of the Blacksmith. Charlotte cocked her head to the side slightly,

"Come back? Come back from what?" her face now showed concern, her tone serious.

"He followed after some new girl into the woods. They went to find the Tree of the Dead, I think..." Tommy answered uncertainly.

Charlotte stiffened softly before she looked back down on Alexandria.

"Does your father know about this?" the young woman asked.

"Well...not exactly." Alexandria answered shyly as she stepped back from Charlotte.

"Well how long has he been gone?" Charlotte demanded; the children grew silent and gave each other secret looks, "Well?" Charlotte pushed her eyes darted back over to Tommy who looked to be the oldest of the group; under Charlotte demanding gaze, Tommy looked down at his feet and shifted uncomfortably before answering hesitantly,

"I don't know...maybe 20 minutes?"

"20 minutes?!" Charlotte exclaimed, "Wha...Wil...Oh!" Charlotte groaned in quiet anger, "Well someone must go after him!" She informed the group; Tommy quickly jumped in,

"You can use Lightning if you want." he offered pointing over to where a small grey horse was tied to a wooden post.

Without hesitating, the young woman quickly marched over and untied the horse before climbing up onto the saddle to take hold of the reins.

"Which way did he go?" she asked; Tommy pointed in a direction across the bridge,

"Over the bridge, to the Western Woods." he answered.

"All of you stay here!" Charlotte ordered the group of kids before she took off across the bridge and rode towards the shadowy woods. Remembering the way that Mrs. Adams had showed her the day before, Charlotte followed a path deep into the trees until she finally came upon the familiar clearing.

Bringing the grey horse to a quick stop, the young woman gracefully swung herself down from her seat. Then with fierce determination in finding young William, she bravely walked over to the god-forsaken tree.

"William?!" she called loudly while searching all around for the boy, "Willia..."she started to call out again but was cut off as her eyes spotted William stepping out from behind the tree... and he wasn't alone.

Charlotte stiffened softly as she realized that William was being held at knife point by a young girl with golden hair dressed in a pale pink dress whom Charlotte guessed was the 'new girl" that Tommy had informed her about.

The girl held the blade firmly against William's throat, her young face was expressionless. Charlotte raised both her hands up in the air in a surrendering gesture, "Easy now..." she stated calmly, "What do you want?" Charlotte asked; the girl remained silent so Charlotte took a step closer, "Put the knife down, there's no need for that." When the girl didn't move an inch Charlotte softly added, "Please...just let the boy go."

Finally, the girl smirked and slowly shook her head 'no'

"Not without a trade." she replied.

Charlotte raised an eyebrow, "Trade?" she repeated.

"You must give me something for the boy." the girl specified.

"I have nothing of value on me," Charlotte informed as she extended her arms out to her sides, with her palms facing out to prove her words, "What are your demands?"

"Come closer." It wasn't a friendly suggestion...it was a order.

Feeling like there was nothing else that could be done, Charlotte slowly approached the girl and the frightened William. Charlotte made eye contact with the poor boy and gave him a soft reassuring smile before fixing the girl with a cool gaze.

"Yes?"

"Hold out your hand." answered the girl.

Without question, Charlotte did what she was told.

"Now I ask you again, what are your demands?" Charlotte calmly questioned. The girl smirked once more before lowering the knife from William's throat; then in a flash, she threw the boy away while reaching out to snatch Charlotte's open palm.

A gasp of pain slipped out from between Charlotte's teeth. For such a young girl, she had abnormal strength-the force she was applying was practically crushing her hand.

Placing her blade's sharp tip into the soft skin of Charlotte's palm, the girl sliced downwards, drawing a red stream of blood.

The young woman hissed at the painful stinging before she looked down at the girl with confused eyes, "What is this for?"

"Your blood." the girl whispered as she dipped the blade into the growing pool of burgundy in the center of Charlotte's hand.

Frowning but not understanding, the young woman jerked her hand free while the girl, who looked no older than William then quickly walked over to the Tree of the Dead.

Paying no mind to her bleeding palm, ran over to William and took him by the hand.

"Come on, William. Let's get out of here!"

The two of them ran over to where the grey horse stood and in one swift motion, Charlotte lifted William up onto the saddle.

"She's a witch, Charlotte!" William cried fearfully pointing at the girl.

Charlotte glanced behind her shoulder at the young girl who was indeed performing some type of ritual as she was sprinkling Charlotte's blood from the knife onto the bark of the tree.

"But she's just a child..." the young woman murmured out loud.

Something was really wrong here.

The woods had become deathly cold and a bolt of lightning flashed angrily across the sky while the wind picked up and rustled the surrounding trees.

"What is going on?" Charlotte's eyes darted with uncertainty from the young girl to the monstrous looking Tree of the Dead beside her.

To her upmost disbelief, the tree actually began to move. Its roots that went deep into the ground pulled themselves up from out of the earth before waving menacingly in the air. An abyss like opening was then revealed in the tree.

Watching with wide eyes, Charlotte found herself holding her breath as something started to crawl out of from the tree itself. At first it looked like an animal on all fours but once it had immerged from the tree completely, Charlotte realized that the thing was actually a woman.

And she was laughing to herself.

Slowly, the woman's bowed head came up and met Charlotte's shocked gaze; she smirked disturbingly before she pushing herself off the ground to rise to her feet. Her dress was tattered and torn beyond repair. It's skirt was covered in mud, dirt and to Charlotte's disgust, blood;

"Charlotte White," the woman spoke; her skin was deathly pale and her hair was practically white., "...how anxious I have been waiting for you."

"Wh...who are you?" Charlotte asked; the woman laughed,

"I am known by many names but perhaps the most familiar one would be Mary Van Tessel." the woman replied sickly.

The young woman drew in a sharp breath, "The Witch of Sleepy Hallow?" she clarified. Mary gave a soft bow

"None other." she answered.

"And you've been waiting for me because...?" Charlotte questioned; her eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"You were the key to my freedom, dear girl." Said Mary.

Charlotte glanced down at her still bleeding hand, not quiet understanding Mary's words. Mary saw her confusion and decided to fill her in, "I needed the blood of an innocent to complete my spell."

At the information, Charlotte raised her eyes to look back over at Mary. "So you had my hand sliced open?" she demanded.

Mary gave a soft shrug of her bony shoulders,

"I had what was needed to be done, done. Simple as that."

Suddenly, out of nowhere, the girl in the pale pink dress appeared again and walked over to where Mary stood. The witch Mary then reached a hand out and lightly placed it on the girl's head; then like in a dream, the girl melted from the touch and turned into a simple black rat on the ground before it scampered off out of sight. "Amazing what magic can do if one knows how to use it, huh?" Mary asked proudly.

Charlotte silently shook her head before she quickly swung herself up on the saddle behind William.

"Oh, leaving so soon? But don't you want to hang around to see the best part of my spell?" Mary evilly asked with a wicked smile on her face,

"And what could that possibly be?" Charlotte called to her as she took up the reins in her hands.

"Let's just say, come nightfall, you can expect a visit from...well," Mary paused to chuckle quickly, "...let's just call him an old friend of mine." Mary answered as she glanced over at the Tree of the Dead behind her.

Not wanting to listen to another word from the witch's mouth, Charlotte turned the horse around, and with William riding securely in the front, they took off at great speed back into the trees heading for the security of the town once more.

"You can run, but you can't hide Charlotte! Not from him!" Mary called after them before she went into a fit of hysterical laughter.


	7. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6: HE RIDES AGAIN!

Charlotte and William rode hard until they finally found themselves crossing the old bridge that led them back in town. The group of kids still stood waiting for them and at the sight of them approaching, they went into soft cheers. Charlotte brought the grey horse to a stop and quickly climbed off the saddle before she reached up and helped William down right after.

Once his feet were on the ground, he threw his arms around the young woman's waist in a tight hug; Charlotte wrapped her arms around the shaken boy and held him close before she leaned her head down and whispered in his ear,

"Take your sister home, stay there for the rest of night. We must be prepared should the worst happen, William."

William softly nodded his head in understanding before he pulled away, "Come on, Alexandria, we're going home." he ordered softly before he led his little sister away from the group of kids.

Charlotte turned to the rest of the peering kids, "It'd be best if you all went home as well."

The kids didn't have to be told twice; it seems that even they knew that something had happened in the woods just now. After the kids had left, Charlotte turned on her heel and quickly swept into town.

She walked passed her own cottage and made her way over to Mrs. Adams' who lived just down the road. With her good hand, Charlotte firmly knocked upon their wooden door; after a few minutes, it opened to reveal a fairly handsome man who was well into his forties, standing in the doorway.

Charlotte gave him a polite curtsey, "Excuse me sir, but is your wife home? It is most urgent that I speak with her." Charlotte explained. The man gave her a soft smile,

"You must be Charlotte. Rose has told me all about you, come on in." Mr. Adams offered as he stepped aside and allowed Charlotte to enter their home.

"Thank you, sir." said Charlotte.

"She's in the kitchen." Mr. Adams stated while he pointed in the general direction of the kitchen. Charlotte gave a soft nod before she quickly made her way through the house till she came into the kitchen; Mrs. Adams was at the sink washing dishes.

"Mrs. Adams?" Charlotte softly called over to the older woman; Mrs. Adams glanced over her shoulder in surprise,

"Why Charlotte," she stated with a happy smile, "What can I do for you?" she asked while she quickly dried her hands on her skirts before she turned around and walked over to where the young woman stood.

Charlotte swallowed softly, "Something has happened..." she answered. All at once, a serious look came over Mrs. Adams features,

"Come we can talk in private in my bedroom." Mrs. Adams stated as she took Charlotte by the hand and led her out of the kitchen. Once they were inside Mrs. Adams' bedroom chamber, she closed the door tightly and led Charlotte and herself over to take a seat on the bed. "Now," Mrs. Adams started, "..what has happened?" she asked with great concern.

Charlotte took in a deep breath of air before she told Mrs. Adams her story. At the end, to confirm it all, Charlotte showed her friend her hand that had been cut by the blade.

"Dear God!" Mrs. Adams breathed out as she took up Charlotte's hand and began examining the wound, "The Witch's Mark..." she whispered.

"Mark? It's just a cut." Charlotte corrected; Mrs. Adams softly shook her head,

"No deary, it's called 'The Witch's Mark' because of what it represents." Mrs. Adams explained softly,

"And what does it represent?" Charlotte asked.

"Black Magic," Mrs. Adams answered.

Her eyes widened with protest, "But I am no witch!" she pointed out defensively,

"No...you're not...but Charlotte..." Mrs. Adams glanced up from Charlotte's hand to meet her eyes, "...you've been marked by one."

The two women grew silent for a few minutes before the young woman quietly spoke up,

"So what do you think is going to happen to me?" she asked. Mrs. Adams placed a motherly hand over Charlotte's hand that she held,

"Nothing deary." She answered, "..Nothing will happen to you. Witch or not, what can Mary Van Tessel use against you?" Mrs. Adams wisely stated.

Charlotte blinked twice before answering, "Who do you think?"

Mrs. Adams shook her head, "She can no longer control him like that."

Charlotte looked down at her hand, her eyes tracing over the cut,

"I think there's more to this 'cut' then meets the eye..." Said Charlotte while she gave a soft nod down to her hand.

"Hush, dear girl. Let's not think about such horrid thoughts. All that matters at this very moment it that you and young William are safe, thanks you."

Charlotte let out a soft sigh before she turned her head to look out the bedroom window; outside the sun was getting ready to set, soon it would be Night. Remembering Mary Van Tessel's last words, Charlotte softly shook her head,

"Don't thank me just yet...come sun down, I may have doomed us all..."

Mrs. Adams reached a comforting hand over and placed it on Charlotte's shoulder,

"Are you still wearing the necklace I gave you?" she asked.

Charlotte reached a hand up and laid it on top of her chest where she could feel the crystal cross beneath her tight fitted bodice; Charlotte nodded her head.

"Good! Keep it close always, it will protect you in your darkest hours." Mrs. Adams reminded,

Charlotte nodded her head silently before she slowly rose from the bed, "Well I best be getting home before it gets too dark." she stated

Mrs. Adams rose too, "Yes...umm...a swell idea. Get home quickly and be sure to take extra precautions tonight Charlotte. Lock up everything. Can you do that for me?" Mrs. Adams asked. Charlotte gave her friend a reassuring smile and nod,

"As long as you do the same." Charlotte answered. Mrs. Adams smiled. The two woman left the bedroom and walked to the front door together. Before Charlotte stepped outside, Mrs. Adams gave Charlotte a parting embrace,

"Be safe dear one. Everything will be alright." She assured. Charlotte nodded before she turned about and started on her walk home.

* * *

When the night had finally fallen, the sky was darker than usual; no moon, no stars, just blackened sky. Back at the Tree of the Dead, Mary Van Tessel was nowhere to be seen.

The temperature in the woods dropped abruptly, and the wind picked up while the Tree of the Dead again awoke and opened it roots for a new Hell to come forth. In the blink of an eye, a large black stallion leapt forth, carrying his fearsome master upon his back.

Piercing blue eyes quickly scanned its surroundings while sharpened teeth bared themselves in a frightening snarl.

His witch was gone... and he wanted her back!

The Horseman closed his eyes and inhaled deeply through his nose; a faint and sweet, almost mouthwatering fragrance hovered in the cold night's air. His eyes snapped open; the scent covered his tree before it led off into the woods...towards the small town of Sleepy Hollow. So he had a lead. Certain that if he tracked down whoever the scent belonged to, he'd find his prize, the Horseman gave quick jerk on the reins, turning his black stallion around before delivering a sharp kick to its side with his spurred boots.

The horse sprinted into action, carrying its Master into the woods and as this happened, the horseman threw his head back and let out a loud battle cry, letting all of Sleepy Hollow know that the Horseman has returned.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Carried off by a Killer

Once Charlotte got home, she took Mrs. Adams words to heart and immediately locked up her house for the night; from doors to windows, everything was bolted shut.

After that task was done, she went into her tiny kitchen to make herself a nice, hot, calming cup of tea. With the steaming cup in hand, Charlotte went to her bedroom where she took a seat in a rocking chair; next to the chair was next to a small table and on that rested a book.

Taking a couple sips of the hot, sweet liquid, Charlotte then put her cup down on the table before she picked up her book. Finding where she had placed her bookmark, Charlotte contently picked up her reading.

She was able to read for about an hour or so before the tea's drowsy effects settled on her and she had to put her book back down.

Quickly draining the rest of her tea from the cup, Charlotte rose from her seat then with the empty cup in her hand before she left her. While she moved through her house, Charlotte heard a scream from outside.

In Sleepy Hollow, it was never unusual to hear a scream somewhere, so Charlotte brushed it off as nothing and decided at that moment to get a fire going in the fireplace...

Outside the people were starting to panic.

The call was out "the Horseman was coming!" Those who had heard it were preparing or already heading to the church for safety, all but Charlotte who was unaware of everything that was going on right outside her house.

The Horseman came fast, no one had enough time flee to the church before he was riding into town; lucky for the towns people though, he was not here for blood.

Still, he watched with sick amusement as the people would look upon his fearsome features and scream with terror.

Following the scent to a small cottage by the bridge, the Horseman felt sure that since the source of the aroma was so strong, whoever owned it was still inside. In one swift movement, he dismounted his black stallion while also unsheathing his long and deadly sword. He swung it about with his wrist a few times as he marched up to the front door of the house; anxiously he raised it high into the air, ready to strike down the wooden barrier that was the door...

Charlotte gracefully rose from her kneeling position on the ground once the fire was lit, it was in that moment that she finally caught the cries of the townspeople and knew that whatever was going on outside was not a 'nothing" but when she finally realized it, it would already be too late.

Spontaneously, the flames in the fireplace leapt high into the air and roared hellishly at Charlotte. She quickly moved away, her wide eyes staring at the raging flames; a loud crack sounded from the front door, the noise cause Charlotte to jump and drop her tea cup from her hand. It fell to the floor and shattered into many pieces as it hit the ground by her feet. Charlotte's head turned toward the front door; in it was a large crack that had split it right down the middle and the tip of a very large blade still stuck through the wood. Charlotte screamed when the blade pulled out only to strike at the wooden door once more with even greater force then the first blow.

The door gave way, flying right off its hinges and before Charlotte could blink, a towering man with pale skin, raven black hair and a menacing expression marched right into her home. His piercing blue eyes darted all around the room, searching for something...or rather someone.

"God help me….." Charlotte whispered softly as she instinctively backed away till she found her back pressed tightly up against a wall behind her, "It's him…."

The Horseman.

Almost like he had heard her speak, the Horseman's eyes landed coldly on her frozen form. With his sword in one hand, he slowly stalked over to where the young woman stood and stopped when only a couple feet separated their bodies. Snarling and baring his sharpened teeth for her to see, he watched with great pleasure as the young woman shrunk away in fear.

Not letting her get away, one of his powerful hands shot out and roughly took Charlotte by her neck, pinning her effectively to the wall. He gripped it forcefully but yet it was not tight enough to cause suffocation. Charlotte tensed up, waiting for the blow of death that she felt sure he would bring but to her surprise the Horseman did nothing but stare.

Once again, he closed his eyes for a brief second, inhaling a deep, slow breath through his nose; all at once his eyes snapped back open, his gaze freezing Charlotte from the inside out,

"**Ihr Wohlgeruch**!" he spoke, "**Seines das ein, dem ich gefolgt bin!**"

Charlotte stared dumbfounded at the frightening man before her,

"He speaks in German….I don't know German." Her mind screamed. Not knowing what else to do, Charlotte softly shook her head. The Horseman must've read her expression for he then quickly switched languages,

"You're the one I've been hunting yet you are not my Witch." He clarified, speaking in English with a heavy German accent.

At the word 'witch' Charlotte's lavender eyes which were staring into the face of the Horseman widened slightly, "Mary Van Tessel." She thought to herself.

"Ah…..you know of whom I speak." The Horseman stated in a low voice as his eyes then traced over Charlotte's lovely features. "Where is she?" he demanded softly. Charlotte lowered her eyes for a few seconds as she thought of an answer, she only knew one,

"Free." She whispered; her voice was shaky but firm.

The Horseman's eyes narrowed dangerously before he applied more pressure to Charlotte's neck. Charlotte couldn't help but gasp this time, "If you are here because of…..HER," she hissed,

"I am here to claim what's mine!" The Horseman roared. Charlotte tried to shrink away again but where could she go? She was pinned to a solid wall.

"Then you're in the wrong place." the woman whispered.

The Horseman clipped his sword to his hip with a single hand before using it to grasp Charlotte's left hand; he yanked it up from her side, palm up before letting his eyes scan across the familiar looking cut in the center of her hand; his eyes started to almost glow from anger,

"Am I?" he hissed back, "**Hexe!**"

"I did not make that cut by my own hand!" Charlotte spoke defensively,

"Of course not…." The Horseman spat sarcastically, "Tell me, **meine kleine Hexe**, what exactly are you then?" he asked.

What was she?

Charlotte shook her head, not fully understanding his question.

A terrifying light came to his eyes as the corners of his mouth turned up in a cruel smile,

"Well then," he began as he slowly started to lower his fearsome face down to hers, "….let's find out." Before she could move, the Horseman crushed his lips to Charlotte's in a brutal kiss.

Charlotte screamed into his mouth while she struggled to escape the Horseman's powerful hold. She could feel his sharp teeth scraping and gently biting her soft, full lips but he wasn't doing it hard enough to draw blood. After a minute or so, the Horseman pulled back, releasing Charlotte from his violent kiss.

She turned her head away in disgust and looked down at the floor, refusing to look at him when he used one of his free hands to stroke the side of her flushed face while quickly licking his lips, "You are pure." He growled in a matter of fact tone. Charlotte turned her head just enough to glance at him out of the corner of her eyes, causing the Horseman chuckled.

"**Heute abend bin ich für eine Hexe gekommen und anstatt fängt einen Engel**." He spoke in a low and amused voice.

Acting on instinct, Charlotte raised a knee high, effectively hitting the man in his groin.

Pain flashed across his face and he at last released Charlotte from his hold giving her the chance she needed at escaping. She bolted past the Horseman, who was already recovering from her blow, and dashed out the front door.

With her skirts gripped tightly in her hands, she hiked them up past her shins and started up the road to the old Church, the safest place in Sleepy Hollow. She didn't get far before she heard the rapid sound of hooves gaining on her.

Next thing Charlotte knew, the Horseman's powerful arm ensnared her waist when he was close enough to touch and lifted her right off the ground before roughly seating her in his lap. With one arm, he secured Charlotte on the saddle and held her tightly against his body while he used the other to steer his loyal horse around before taking off back through the town, over the bridge and into the woods.

Charlotte's scream echoed through the town as the Horseman carried her off into the night...

* * *

**_German Translations: _**(Going in order)

**Ihr Wohlgeruch: **Your scent,

**Seines das ein, dem ich gefolgt bin: **It's the one I've been following

**Hexe!: **Witch

**meine kleine Hexe: **My little Witch

**Heute abend bin ich für eine Hexe gekommen und anstatt fängt einen Engel: **Tonight I came for a Witch and instead catch an Angel.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: To Wake up in Hell

The Horseman held the young woman close to his body as the two rode deep into the Western Woods.

Charlotte, who sat awkwardly in the sidesaddle position in the front, dug her nails into the arm that ensnared her waist in hopes that the Horseman would ease up on his hold. But it was to no prevail.

The man didn't even flinch.

Trees flew by looking like mere shadows, and all poor Charlotte could do was watch helplessly...silently, as she awaited her fate at the Horseman's hands. Was she going die tonight? Her life seemingly began flashing before her eyes-so caught up in her thoughts, the young woman hardly noticed when the horse she sat upon slowed its pace to a trot.

Pulling back on the reins, the Horseman brought his black steed to a complete halt.

Shaken from her thoughts, Charlotte quickly looked around and instantly recognized the location that the Horseman had brought her to. The infamous Tree of the Dead- the place where this whole nightmare had started. And now it once again stood tall right in front of their eyes.

Without a doubt, he _must_ have brought her here to kill her, Charlotte presumed while nervously closing her eyes in a silent prayer.

"If death is to come...let it be swift." She pleaded softly inside her mind.

All at once the horse jerked forward, taking off again at great speed. When Charlotte's lavender eyes reopened to settle on that damned tree, she noticed with even greater fear that its roots were opening up- revealing the dark entranceway to God-knows-where. And they were headed right to it!

Before Charlotte could scream, the horse leapt into the air.

At that moment, all time seemed to slow as the young woman watched with fearful eyes as the dark abyss swallowed the horse, its rider and herself whole. Charlotte made the mistake of drawing in a sharp breath before darkness completely engulfed her and a foul, putrid smell of death filled her nostrils.

It was stomach-churning.

The next thing Charlotte knew, she fainted right in the Horseman's arms…

* * *

Charlotte didn't know how long she was out... but when she awoke at last she found herself lying on a dark, plush carpet before a warm fire.

Shooting up from her position on the floor, the young woman's head turned wildly this way and that as she attempted to figure out where she was. Her frantic eyes searched about the room and it dawned on her that she honestly had no idea where she was.

The space was shadowy and dark and the only piece of furniture that was in it was an empty, black velvet armchair sitting just a few feet away from the fireplace where Charlotte herself sat.

Surely this was not hell, right? It couldn't possibly be.

Untangling her legs from her skirts, Charlotte slowly rose to her feet, "Where am I?" she asked out loud as she once again looked around the room.

Something out of the corner of her eye moved, catching her attention. Charlotte's head snapped in the direction where the movement came before becoming petrified on the spot.

In one of the corners of the room, hiding in the gloom watching her, stood the fearsome Horseman. His pale skin seemed to glow in the dark along with his electrifying blue eyes. His mouth showed no expression along with the rest of his face.

The young woman jumped softly when the sound of his spurred boots echoed across the floor as he stepped forward and slowly made his way over to her. Charlotte watched him close the distance between them in just a few long strides, naturally retreating backwards with every step he took.

Before he got too close, she turned on her heel, quickly moving around the armchair where she proceeded to use it as a barrier, blocking his advance.

The Horseman stopped just on the other side of it. One of his raven eyebrows had risen in response to Charlotte's action.

The young woman glanced away, her eyes traveling to the other far side of the room where she caught sight of a possible exit. She had barely taken a full step in that direction however when the Horseman guessed her plan.

His hand shot out from across the armchair and roughly seized Charlotte by her arm, yanking her around the piece of furniture till to she stood directly before him.

She had yelped in surprise and at the sudden hostility, her other arm lifted up in defense which was then easily caught by the Horseman's other hand.

In one swift movement, the man twisted her arms painfully and applied heavy pressure, forcing Charlotte to fall to her knees with compliance. On the ground, the young woman stared up at the Horseman's towering form with shimmering eyes of fright.

"Are you going to kill me now?" The question was bold but her voice shook softly with fear.

The Horseman smirked, flashing his white, sharpened teeth. "**Süßes mädchen, **if I had wanted you dead...you would already be so." His voice was rich and pleasantly deep with a slight ruggedness that came from his German accent.

It was a contradiction to his physical appearance, Charlotte thought.

...He actually sounded human. But can he even be called that now?

"Then release me." And she meant that in more than one way.

An amused light came to his eyes, "Why should I?" the Horseman threw back.

A shoulder rose and fell with a shrug, "Why should you keep me here? I am of no value to you." She pointed out.

The Horseman considered her words for a few moments and allowed his eyes to slowly size Charlotte up. Using one of his hands with a surprising gentleness, he let the pads of his long pale, blue-tinted fingers to caress the side of her face. They stroked down her neck at an angle, stopping just when his fingers brushed the top curves of her breasts that peeked out of her neckline with each breath she took.

Appalled, Charlotte gasped and jerked back. How dare the man take such a liberty with her.

The Horseman slowly lowered his hand, "I wouldn't be so sure about that." He answered in his low voice.

Charlotte's eyes widened at the suggestive comment. "Let go!" Her voice was sharper this time as she wrenched about in the man's hold.

The Horseman cocked an amused eyebrow before he finally released Charlotte's arm.

The young woman wasted no time jumping to her feet. Her eyes glared dangerously at the towering man before her. "Despicable bastard!" she spat.

The Horseman through back his raven head and laughed.

Charlotte took a step back, not quite sure of how to respond to his unexpected reaction.

The Horseman fixed his eyes upon Charlotte with great intensity, "Tisk, tisk, such colorful language for a lady such as yourself." He lightly scolded, a small smirk playing across his mouth.

Her eyes narrowed further into slits.

"Now...shall I show you to your room?" he mockingly asked.

The woman's face dropped with confusion while her entire frame tensed up, "My room?" she repeated.

"Of course **Süßes Mädchen**, you will be staying here for…" the Horseman chuckled, "…quite some time. What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't help you get….." he paused to think of the right word, "…settled in." he finished with a frightening grin.

Charlotte's heart stopped for about a second or so at his words.

"You...you really plan on keeping me here?" Her eyes widened with terror at the thought.

As his answer, the Horseman reached a hand out and grasped Charlotte firmly by her wrist. Spinning about on his heel, he hauled the young woman into step behind him as he stalked out of the room they were just in.

Together, they reached a grand, black marble staircase and swiftly started up the steps. Even though he was dragging behind a resisting young woman, the Horseman carried on with little difficultly.

At the top of the stairs, they entered a long narrow hallway that was torch-lit. About midway down the passageway, the Horseman came to a stop outside a large double-door room. With one hand, he opened the door wide enough just before effortlessly tossing Charlotte inside.

The young woman briefly tripped on her long skirts but quickly caught herself a second later. Turning around, Charlotte watched with dread as the Horseman smirked right at her before closing the door.

The sound of a key being turned in a lock confirmed her dismay.

"No!" She cried as she dashed over and started jangling the door handles- but the deed was done.

Charlotte was locked inside.

Angry and scared, the young woman started beating relentlessly on the door with her fists, "Let me out!" she shouted, "You can't keep me in here!"

Outside the room, she heard the distinctive sound of chuckling followed by the retreating noise of heavy footsteps as they led away from the door.

It was hopeless... she was trapped.

Tears welled themselves in Charlotte's eyes as she slowly collapsed to her knees in despair by door. She wept silently for a few, long minutes before resigning herself to laying down on the cold, unfeeling floor. The young woman closed her eyes, allowing one last tear to slip down her cheek.

A prisoner...Charlotte was the Horseman's prisoner.

"I was wrong…" she thought to herself, "I am in hell…."

Eyes heavy with a sudden exhaustion, Charlotte drifted into a deep, and dreamless sleep.

* * *

German Translations:

**Süßes Mädchen: **_Sweet Girl_


End file.
